Breathless
by Chibi Yuna
Summary: The story of Tifa's life, before and after the game. Aeris returns from the dead along with the love triangle we all know, and the team must seek the Black Materia. Eventually a CloTi, but takes many twists and turns before it gets there.
1. Resurrection

The bartendress was cleaning up. Her bar was closed for lunch now, and sloppy customers had, as usual, left a fine mess for her to clean up. Mugs littered the tables, crumbs scattered across the floor, beer spills everywhere, and there was still a man in the restroom, vomitting. The woman gathered the dishes into a pile at the sink to be washed, mopped up the spills, wiped away the crumbs, disposed of the food, and arranged the tables and chairs. She then asked the man nicely if he would leave.

         "Excuse me, sir," she said politely, "The bar is closed now, and it's time to leave. Please gather your belongings and go so I can finish cleaning up."

         The man stood with difficulty, staggering with every step. "Ya know whah? I never noticed but you got the prettiest eyes I ever saw." The man's speech was slurred and uneven. "You're twin's pretty hot, too! You an' I should go out someti-" The drunk passed out. The bartendress sighed and dragged him out the door.

         The woman returned to the the sink and began to scrub away the filth. Her hands worked skillfully, repeatedly passing soap and water over the plates and mugs, then rinsing them and placing each neatly in the drying rack. She paused at one dish and stared at her reflection off the plate's silver face.

         She nearly did not recognize the face staring blankly back at her. She was only 20, but somehow her face seemed to look older, overworked, broken. Her raven bangs parted to one side almost hid her scarlet eyes. But something about the bartendress's own reflection made her draw back. Was this her? She must be tired from being up all night serving drinks. No… This job was making her less and less lively and beautiful each day. The woman thought back to her younger days of 15…

         A sudden terrible memory passed through her mind. No. Don't think about that. She couldn't even remember it all clearly… She continued with the dishes. This job was all she had. Besides, the business was good and it was the only way to make money around here. Still… She longed to get away from the scent of alchohol and dirty slum men. But she was lucky to have even this, after…

         She was thankful to have run into Barret. She had been all alone until a few months ago. She thought back to that day. The weather was… non-existant, as usual. A simple bleak sky of black. She had wandered about Sector 7 and came upon a little girl. She was sitting on a park bench, swinging her feet morosely. The woman had sat next to her to rest from her walk, and noticed her lonliness, to which she could relate.

         "Hello," she had said, "What's the matter? Why are you all alone?" The little girl had looked at her timidly.

         "Daddy said I shouldn' talk to strangers," the girl said quietly.

         "Oh… I'm sorry. It's just that…" The woman paused. "Where is your father? Shouldn't he be taking care of you? The slums are dangerous, you know." The girl turned away and sniffed.

         "He gone away to tell people 'bout how bad the Shinra are."

         "…Shinra?" The woman repeated. Hesitating, she looked at the little girl again. What kind of father would abandon their child in the middle of the slums like this? How awful! Her father must have something to do with that rebel group that's been on the television lately. Poor little girl.

         At that moment, a horrifying large black man with a torn vest and what looked like a machine gun for his right arm approached the woman and the child. "Marlene! Who's this? I told you not to talk to strangers!"

         "'Marlene…'? Are you this girl's father?" The woman stood.

         "Yeah," the man said, annoyed. "Who are you?"

         "My name's Tifa. Tifa Lockheart. How could you leave a child alone like that?!"

         The man was caught by surprise at her concern. She supposed not many people in the slums cared so much about children being alone, seeing as there were a number of homeless children, and even those with homes were left alone at times. "…Listen 'ere, missy. I don' wanna leave her alone, but I ain't got no choice. Anyway, it's my business. It's fer the good o' the planet!"

         "What do you mean, 'for the good of the planet'?" The woman said cautiously. She didn't want to get mixed up with bad people, but she was too intrigued. The man's face changed.

         "Don' ya know 'bout what the Shinra are doin'?"

         "Well, besides manufacturing Mako energy to light the city, no."

         The burly man held back his fury with difficulty. "Tha's what everyone says! But it ain't true, lady. You listen here." He walked closer, obviously beginning a lecture. Marlene leaned against his leg. "You know where that Mako comes from?"

         "It's extracted from the ground, isn't it?"

         "Not just the ground, the earth! This planet's got a life force inside it that gave birth to you and me and everyone else! Every time you turn on a light, that life get's used up. And for what? #$(^%ing money! That's what it's all about!"

         Tifa looked skeptical. The man continued.

         "You un'erstand? The Shinra are killin' this planet. And that's why we gotta do something, or it'll be the end fo' all of us." The man searched Tifa's face for expression. There was a brief silence. "Ah, I shoulda known you wouldn' understand. But if y'ever wonder, we're called AVALANCHE. And we're gonna be the ones to stop this planet from dying. The only way to do that is to stop the Shinra…" He began to leave, and gestured for Marlene to follow.

         "Wait."

         The man turned back. Tifa's face became an expression of inspiration and some kind of determination. "Don't go. I want to join this… AVALANCHE."

         Tifa was drawn back to reality. That was the last dish. She needed some air. A walk would be nice. Who knows who she'd run into next.

*

It was cold. Beggars lined the streets and she tried to avoid them. She should have brough a jacket…

         Eventually, her feet took her to the train station. She examined her surroundings and eyed the conductor. He was leaning over a person crouched on the sidewalk. She wandered near timidly.

         "Hey… you okay?" The conductor asked. The person did not reply. As Tifa came nearer, she noticed that the person was a man who was holding something… The conductor waved a hand in front of his face. There was no response. "Poor kid." The conductor returned to the train and left the man alone. Tifa came closer.

         The young man's head was bowed lowly and his eyes could not be made out. His hair was spiked blonde, and he held a large, silver, deadly-looking sword. He wore an elite Shinra uniform. He must have been from SOLDIER. Tifa stared at him a moment more. "Hello?" She said, "Are you alright?" The man raised his head slightly and groaned. He was alive. Tifa wondered what was wrong with him. There was something odd about him altogether, yet… familiar. She wondered why her heart was pounding.

         "……Ugh……" The man grunted weakly. He raised his head a little more, almost enough to see her face, then nodded again. The poor guy, she thought. If she could get him to an inn or something… Then he would be okay. But, he was with Shinra… Tifa shook her head. She'd help him anyway. Trying to lift him up, she placed one of his arms across her shoulder and her own under his. He blinked, struggling to look at her. His body twitched.

         "…Tifa……..?" The young man whispered between groans. Tifa gently let go of him for a moment and stared at him. Did she… know him? Something about him seemed to trigger a long-forgotten memory. She searched his upheld face for something to explain who he was. His eyes possessed an eerie, blue-green glow. She blinked uncertainly.

         "Tifa…?" He repeated, louder and more clearly this time, yet still weak. His face grew intense and he seemed to suddenly have more strength. The young man flinched once more, this time rising to his feet. She continued to stare. Something about him…

         "Tifa!" He shouted. Hearing his voice clearly now, she pieced together her memory. Of course! She knew that hair. It must be her old childhood friend from next door.

         "Oh! Cloud!" She exclaimed. He gestured, striking a cool pose. She half-smiled. Something was strange about him…

         "That's right, I'm Cloud." Tifa nearly drew back, despite impulses to embrace her old friend. No normal person spoke like that. The poor guy must have been really hurt, she thought. He'd probably lost his family in the accident back home and hasn't seen anyone familiar in a long while.

         "Wow… I haven't seen you in…" Tifa paused. "How long has it been?"

         Cloud clutched his head furiously half a moment, then returned to his casual stance. "Five years."

         Tifa thought back… Five years ago. The accident. Flames. Her eyes windened at the thought and her legs nearly turned numb. She recovered just in time to stand properly all the while, but she had become suddenly pale. She became silent, her face hidden.

         "Tifa? What's wrong?" Cloud seemed to be at full strength now and spoke normally. He regarded her curiously. His eyes drew hers like pollen-filled flowers draw bees. She gazed into them dreamily a moment and then smiled warmly.

         "……It's really been a long time." Tifa held back a tear and wasn't sure whether it appropriate to hug him or not. She decided against it. It didn't feel right. Cloud brushed himself off and shrugged. "So what have you been doing all this time?" She asked in attempt to begin casual conversation. Cloud waved a hand about as he spoke.

         "Well, I joined SOLDIER of course, like I said I would," He began pompously, "And of course we saw eachother at Nibelheim five years back." Tifa could recall no such event. She hadn't seen him for seven years. And yet, Cloud seemed to think they had met five years ago? What was wrong with him? Tifa doubted she posessed a long-lost identical twin. This guy must have some kind of problem with his head. Hot as he was, he was acting too strangely for her comfort. Afraid of what to do, she humoured him with a nod. "After the accident," Cloud proceeded, "I quit and became a mercenary."

         "Oh, a mercenary?"

         "Yeah, I pretty much do anything for the money."

         "Oh…" Tifa regarded him through unfocused eyes, her mind racing. The poor guy. He was all alone in the world now. Socially lost and mentally unstable. Though she couldn't blame him, after what happened in Nibelheim five years ago. Almost all the survivors developed some form of a mental disorder or other. A deep sympathy and attachment for him grew from the bottom of Tifa's heart, spreading like wildfire. Cloud… the boy who left town and never came back. The cutest boy, the one with the blonde hair. And now here he was, meeting her again in the most unlikely of settings. She didn't want to lose him to the world again… No, she had to be with him. Watch him. But how…? He was his own man now, with a job that took him everywhere.

         "So what about you? What have you been doing?" Cloud said.

         _That's it!_ "I've become part of a rebel faction against the Shinra, and I run a bar around here," Tifa winked cutely at this, implying that he would be invitied to come and have a drink after work sometime. But, she had also thought of something else that would bring him closer to her for a while. "Say… You said you'd take pretty much any job? You see, our rebel group's been looking to hire someone like you for a few jobs bombing some reactors… You wouldn't feel up to that by any chance, would you?"

         Cloud nodded. "Where is this bar of yours?" His tone indicated interest. Tifa smiled.

         "It's just down the street. Here, come with me and I'll show you."

*

Tifa and Cloud made their way down the street that led through the ruins that were once Sector 7. _How long ago it had been when I'd had a bar there…_ _So much has happened. So much has changed. More than that,_ Tifa thought, _we've changed. Cloud used to be torn up inside and I used to be afraid of what to do and where my life was going. I think, from all that's happened, even though so much destruction has been caused, we've all become stronger._ Tifa had only that reminder for contentment, save the company of Cloud.

         If it weren't for Cloud… Tifa would probably be dead now. And vice-versa. Over the entire adventure of saving the planet and defeating Sephiroth, both became at ease for the moment. Tifa's steps ceased.

         "This isn't the way," she said.

         "Then where did you want to go?" Cloud blinked.

         "The other way…"

         "Then why did you lead us here in the first place?"

         Tifa giggled. "I just wanted to stand here where my bar used to be. It brings back memories. But that's not the real reason I wanted you to come with me back to Midgar," she turned and took his hand, leading him back towards the Train Station. Cloud, confused, followed.

         They passed the Train Graveyard and made their way through Sector 6. Cloud was not permitted to ask any questions regarding the place to which Tifa was leading him. The two walked mostly in silence until they came to the Sector 5 Church. Tifa halted and smiled softly.

         "Here," she said simply. Cloud blinked.

         "The church?" He asked hesitantly, "Did you come here to remind me of Aeris?" He sighed bitterly. Tifa nodded. The two of them both missed their departed friend. After a moment, Tifa took Cloud's hand again. "Where now?" Cloud said, but she did not answer. She walked slowly nearer to the old building, silent, and as if in a trance. Cloud, leashed, followed her inside.

         The towering wooden structure had hardly changed despite the blows made in the city's direction all through the adventure. It had always been an old and sacred place, as it had remained even now. It held an essence of peace, beauty, and the supernatural. Sun still streamed in through the roof, providing the small garden below with life. It was nearly evening now, as the sunlight told with its orange hue. Tifa took gentle steps further and further until her hair shone in its light. Cloud had proceeded behind her and she released his hand absently. She sat down by the flowers to gaze at them until their petals closed to sheild against the night. Cloud mimiced her, evidently lost in thought. No sound was heard save the wind and their breath drawing and releasing. Eventually, the sun had faded. The flowers closed up and Tifa's eyelids half-shut.

         Cloud was about to remind Tifa of the time and suggest heading to an Inn or some place to sleep, but he decided to delay that urge and savour the atmosphere. At that moment, a very distant melody arroused, speaking of ancient and long-forgotten things. The toungue was foreign, if at all it were someone singing. Both Tifa and Cloud's eyes searched for a source. There did not appear to be one. The song became louder, clearer, yet still both strange and sweet. It entraptured them, caged them. Then, a small orb of dim light appeared before them in the centre of the flower bed. The light danced and grew slowly as the melody seemed to be nearer and more vivid. Tifa and Cloud gazed simutaniously at the strange light as it continued to slowly expand.

         After a while, the light was no longer spherical. It had become an odd outline, almost star-shaped, then eventually resembled a woman. When the melody became quite loud, the figure seemed no longer to be merely a light. It was the exact size and proportion of a person, probably a woman. The body of light had no apparent features due to its rapid emit of the blinding light but as soon as the figure had perfected its shape, a large and sudden burst erupted from both the light and the song. The light escaped the figure completely, leaving only darkness, and the melody had subsided into fleeting echoes. The figure descended into the middle of the flower bed. Cloud and Tifa continued to gape at the entire occurance, consuming a moment more, before investigating the fallen figure.

         No light was left in the woman-like figure and the sky had become dark and filled with stars, the full moon looming bright enough overhead to make out surroundings. Cloud and Tifa moved nearer to the centre of the flower bed. The figure, now evident to be a woman for sure, stirred. She inhaled breath from around her and gently rose to her feet like one of the blooming flowers. She gazed half-fearfully at her surroundings, as if suddenly disturbed from slumber.

         The woman indeed was very much like a flower. She was not very tall, but slender and graceful. Her eyes were green as rainy spring and her hair a golden, earthy brown woven into braids behind, with two additions at the front. Her dress, the colour difficult to make out in the darkness, seemed to be pink under a red vest and her boots too were brown upon the flowerbed. The woman seemed to be some sort of angel sent from above.

         "Where am I?" The woman wondered aloud, staring alarmingly at the awed Cloud and Tifa. "How did I get here?"

         Tifa was now too shocked for words. Only Cloud dared to speak. But even he did so timidly, as if approaching a small, frightened animal. "Aeris?" was all he could whisper. The woman suddenly responded at the name uttered and seemed to piece everything together.

         "…I'm Aeris," she said with only sufficient certainty. This did not seem to thoroughly convince her. "Aeris? What? Where am I?" She stepped off the flower bed and searched her surroundings. "Oh," she turned to Cloud and Tifa and nodded. "Then that's it. I'm…"

         "You're alive," Tifa choked, her face pale and lost. Aeris regarded her and nodded again, taking in the situation.

         "Yes," She said, then crouched down a moment in hesitation. "What... what happened…?" Tifa could not answer her. She bowed her head and wept. Aeris looked alarmed at this. She ran to Tifa's side and embraced her as the old friend she was. "Don't cry, Tifa."

*

So that's chapter one done. ^_~ What do you think? Good? Bad? Confusing? Critiques more than welcome, please R & R!!


	2. Cosmo Candle

The moon cast its silver eye over the Midgar Church. There was ultimate silence, despite the fact that many wandered the streets at night. However, rarely did anyone approach the church save for children and the religious. It was a cold, clear night.

         Tifa continued to cry quietly into Aeris's sleeve. Aeris welcomed this patiently, but evidently possessed her own alarming thoughts. Cloud caught her eye nervously.

         "It's really you."

         "Yes…" Aeris said softly. "But… Why, Cloud? Why? I don't understand."

         Cloud shook his head. "I don't understand anymore than you do." Aeris hesitated for a long time and waited for Tifa to collect herself. She subsequently stood and brushed herself off, then turned to hide her face.

         "I miss him already," she whispered.

         "Who?"

         Aeris half-turned back, enough to eye Cloud again. "You know who."

         Cloud did not, but decided not to say anything.

         "Zack," she said with deep longing, "I won't be able to see him again for a long time. And by then he'll have returned to the planet." Aeris paused again, allowing Tifa and Cloud to think this through. "But I think I do know why I came back."

         "Why?" Tifa asked shyly. Aeris nearly answered her before Cloud broke in.

         "It must be a decision of the Planet's." He was staring blankly at a withdrawn flower as he spoke.

         "Yes. I thought so too." Aeris stared at the same flower.

         "You mean…" Tifa consumed some moments before continuing. "The planet needs you for some purpose, right?"

         "Right," Cloud nodded and looked into her eyes. "Bugenhagen once told us… That once Holy is triggered, the planet has the power to destroy what ever is hurting it…… I guess that can also mean restoring what ever helps it. If that makes any sense."

         "It doesn't!" Aeris cried. Cloud and Tifa, caught by surprise, stared at her. She trembled. "None of it makes any sense. I…….." She collapsed to her knees, a small tear dropping onto a segment of moss. "I can't do anything to help. I don't want to be here…"

         Cloud and Tifa watched her uneasily, but uncertain of action. Eventually she wiped her eyes and faced them. Nothing occurred for a lingering moment. Then Tifa stood. "Aeris… I know how hard this must be on you. It's a great burden to bear. But for now, I think we should find some place to sleep and talk about it again in the morning. How does that sound?" Aeris rose stiffly and cooperated with the suggestion.

         Tifa led the way to the nearest Inn. The beds supplied were hard and slightly uncomforatably, and the room was stuffy. However, the next, far nicer Inn in Kalm was some miles walking distance and all of them were beyond too tired to even consider it. Tifa woke up the latest and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Aeris was sitting up straight on her bed in deep thought. She did not swing her feet cutely the way she used to when she and Tifa had first met. She simply peered downward at the cracks in the stone floor and did not move. Cloud walked into the bedroom yawning.

         "Morning." Cloud said. Tifa smiled, then gestured towards Aeris with a tilt of the head. He regarded Aeris and frowned slightly. Tifa and Cloud sat next to her on the bed. She took no notice of their presence.

         "Did you sleep well?" Tifa said casually. Aeris shook her head. Cloud put in:

         "Neither did I. This Inn sucks." Aeris giggled for the first time and then sighed. "So, what are we going to do today?"

         "I want to see the others," Aeris said. Tifa regarded her curiously, then grinned.

         "Okay, good idea! Cloud, do you have the PHS with you?"

         "Yeah."

         "Let's call everyone to meet somewhere."

         "Where?"

         "Cosmo Canyon," said Aeris. Tifa blinked, perplexed at her sudden decisions. Perhaps she'd been planning this all while she'd been sitting on her bed.

         "Alright," said Cloud, "We'll all meet at Cosmo Canyon. No one's ever going to believe me when I tell them about last night, though."

*

In the warm light of the Cosmo Candle, eight faces waited, staring into the fire uneasily. The fire shrivelled and expanded rapidly, devouring at the black wood beneath and leaving behind curling ashes. Smoke rose and met the stars. Everyone waited in silence.

         "This is getting really boring," Yuffie loudly commented. She turned to Cloud as if accusing him of causing her boredom. He stared back through narrowed eyes.

         "Yuffie, just wait."

         "I can't wait any longer. I mean, what are we waiting for anyway? You didn't bother to tell us, incase you forgot!" Yuffie now stood akimbo cockily and waited for a witty retort from him. There was none. Cloud was staring sorrowfully past her. Yuffie's eyes searched Tifa, Red XIII, Barret, Cid, Reeve, and Vincent. They, too, gazed beyond the disgruntled teenager. "What? What are you guys looking at?!" Before awaiting response, she turned around and ceased to stand abruptly. Falling weakly to her knees, she stammered. "A-A-Aeris……?"

         The woman, now being the centre of attention, took few, slow steps forward. Silence returned. Starlight shone upon her hair, and wind shuffled it playfully. She closed her rosemary eyes, opened them again. Her mouth mimicked them. Finally, drawing a hand over her lips, she cleared her throat and said very quietly, "Hello." No one answered. She then brushed at her dress nervously and looked away. The fire shrank before her and she sat down.

         "Everyone…" Tifa said hoarsely, "……This is… Aeris."

         "You're kidding, right?" Yuffie almost whispered, gaping dumbfoundedly.

         "No," Aeris said, "I'm here. It's me." Many blinked or pinched themselves. Aeris appeared uncomfortable.

         "Didn' you die?" Barret blurted out unintentionally.

         "Yes," she said. "But I'm… I'm back."

         "……How?" asked Cid.

         "I… don't know."

         "When?" said Reeve.

         "Yesterday."

         "Why?" inquired Red XIII.

         There was no answer for a moment. "………I don't know that either," Aeris said very quietly. Everyone continued to stare, dry-mouthed, in awe. Barret and Yuffie hid silent tears. Aeris gathered confidence before she spoke again. "Everyone…" she began awkwardly, "I want to ask you all a favour."

         "We'd do anything to help, Aeris," Tifa said far more quietly than intended.

         Aeris continued. "I would like you all to come with me to find the Black Materia."

         She let this sink in and stir questions. "Why…?" Cloud said nervously. Aeris was silent a moment, as if to find words to explain.

         "Because… It needs to be guarded. And, I think it can help me find some of the answers I need to seek."

         "But we don't have any idea where it could be," Tifa pointed out. Aeris half-grinned determinedly.

         "I think I might know," she said, "But you'll have to help me out, since I was… dead… for a while." Several people flinched as she said this, but it didn't seem to trouble Aeris any longer. "When I died, I activated Holy," she began in a serious tone, "But the Black Materia was still in Sephiroth's hands, am I right?" Only Cloud possessed the courage and memory to nod. "What happened after that? Did Sephiroth have it until you defeated him?" Again, Cloud nodded.

         "Yeah. But how did you - ?"

         "I can remember one thing," Aeris cut in, "While I was dead, I saw you all defeat Sephiroth. I had to be with you then. To help you, and help the Planet when Holy could begin to work."

         "You were there…" Cloud whispered distantly, recalling the event. "I remember……"

         Tifa gazed into the fire and remembered.

         Just when they had delivered the finishing blow to Sephiroth, she had felt a holy presence about her and the others. Cloud had told them, 'This is all we could do. Let's go home proud.' And Tifa waited for him. He suddenly ceased and stared at her alarmingly through sapphire eyes. She asked him what was wrong.

         "He's still here…" Tifa didn't understand him right away, but Cloud had already fallen to the ground, unconcious. She called his name again and again, but the earth was shifting underfoot and the others had left. Tifa wrapped her arms around him, attempting to carry him out and catch up with everyone else, but she lost her footing and Cloud fell onto a lower platform of rock. A tear fell onto his face from above and she called his name countless times.

         A moment after, she heard him say dreamily, "Lifestream….?" before he slowly stood, eyes open but filmy as if in a trance. His hand reached skyward for hers, and she leaned as closely over the edge as safely possible.

         "That's right, Cloud! Give me your hand!" Suddenly he faltered and blinked soberly. She reached further and further…

         "Cloud!"

         He tried to reach her, but the ground gave and Tifa fell, and fell… Into his arms. He was warm and his sapphire eyes rested upon hers.

         "……I think I'm beginning to understand," he said suddenly, holding her close with one arm and dangling from the cliff with the other. He was so warm. Tifa felt her heart skip several beats and she paused before comprehending what he had just said.

         "What?" she said absently, closing her eyes in attempt to stall the moment.

         "An answer from the planet," he said slowly, "The Promised Land." Tifa gazed up at him as he tightened his grip on the cliff's edge. "I think I can meet her… there." She blinked dreamily and felt as if Aeris's spirit were lifting them.

         "Yeah, let's go meet her," Tifa said, burying her face in his chest. Aeris stopped the stones from falling and lifted them up over the edge of the cliff. Her voice sang in the breeze distantly and she rose from the crater like a wisp of smoke. Tifa breathed, gazing at at it, then at Cloud who sat next to her. He seemed to see it too.

         And when the Lifestream halted Meteor, everyone knew that she was there.

         "I remember too," Tifa said, looking away from the fire, flushing slightly pink. Cloud regarded her curiously, and Tifa wondered if he was remembering the same thing that she was.

         Aeris also eyed Tifa curiously. Tifa thought she saw a small smirk and blushed furiously. _You two are so cute_, her eyes said. Tifa quickly looked away.

*

Chapter two's done now. Wondering where the story's going, aren't you? ~_~;; It'll all make sense in the end… I hope. Anyway, please review and I'll start working on the next chapter. Go CloTi! XD;


	3. Notice

**Notice:** I am still working on this story. I know it hasn't been updated in who knows how many months, but I haven't stopped working on it. Looking back on the first two chapters, though... lol! Has my writing improved since then! ^_^; Anyway, the deal with my not updating is well, I had a few more chapters done, but the file with them got accidentally deleted some time ago and there's no way of recovering it... >_ 


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